Defensive weapon



NOV. 5, s EIG DEFENSIVE WEAPON Filed Nov. 5, 1962 United States Patent O sacarse DEFENSEVE WEAPN Sani Eig, PAO. Box 611, Biscayne Annex, Miami, Fia. Filed Nov. 5, 1962, Sei'. No. 235,440 6 Claims. (Ci. lli- 1) This invention lrelates to a defensive weapon, and has as its primary object the provision of a pistol-type weapon which in appearance resembles a :cigarette lighter, which may be readily carried in a mans .pocket or a wom-ans pocketbook, and which, when drawn for the purpose of defensive use, will deceive an attacker or robber into the belief that the weapon is a harmless cigarette lighter.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a weapon of this character which, when operated in the manner of a conventional cigarette lighter, will discharge a stream of tear gas or similar substance in a direction towards the attacker with a view to incapacitating him or rendering him harmless until the intended victim can escape or summon aid.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of this character which, with minor modifications, may be Iadapted to re a ball cartridge.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a device 1which may be readily and easily recharged after use.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of such a device which is sturdy and durable in construction, reliable and efficient in operation, vand relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, assemble and utilize.

Still other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements off parts, and features of construction, all as lwill be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one vform of weapon, in simulation of a cigarette lighter constructed in accordance with the instant invention, shown in normal position.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FlG. 1 showing the weapon in discharging position.

FlG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the assembled device.

FIG. 4 is `a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4 4 of FIG. 3 as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

FIG. 5 is an exploded elevational view of the device disclosing the two primary component parts and `certain related elements.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout `the several views of the drawing.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, the device of the instant invention is generally indicated at 1t?, and comprises an inner casing generally indicated at 11 and an outer casing or shell generally indicated at 12, the inner casing 11 tting telescopically within the sheil 12.

Referring iirst to the inner casing 11, the same is comprised of `a pair of side walls 13, which are connected by a rear wall 1li at one end, and which are cut away as at 15 to provide an outwardly extending top portion 16 which is closed by a partial end wall 17. A top wall or partition 13 is also provided land includes a rear opening 19 and a front opening 20. Extending through the front opening 20 is a casing 21 provided with a top opening 22, and a bottom opening 22a which serves as a seat for the rim 23a of a tear gas cartridge 23, the rim of the cartridge extending below the lower edge 24 of overhanging portion 16. An annulus 25 surrounds front opening 20 `and holds casing 21 iixedly in position. The

casing 21 is adapted for the reception oi a cartridge or shell in a manner to be more fully described hereinafter.

A pair of projections or ears 28 extend upwardly from the upper portions of side walls 13, and have extending therebetween a shaft 29, upon which is mounted a lgear 30, and between which `are mounted the side walls 31 of a shell 32 which is provided with an end wall 33 and a top wall 34 and which overlies thee opening 22 -in casing 21.

An arcuate baie 35 is mounted on top wall 1S adjacent casing 21 and has a forwardly extending portion 36 which overlies the opening 22 and which will direct gas, such as tear gas or the like in a direction perpendicular to the opening, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 2, when the gas is discharged in a manner to be more `fully described hereinafter.

A thumb piece is generally indicated at 37 and comprises a shell including side walls Sand a rear wall 39, a front portion d@ being provided with a rack 41 which is engaged yby gear 30. A knurled top plate 42 perm-its depression of thumb piece 37 in the direction indicated Iby the arrow in FIG. 2 and the engagement of rack 41 with `gear 36 swings shell 32 to the upright position as shown in FIG. 2, all in the manner of a conventional 'cigarette lighter.

A tube 4.3 provide-d with an annular ilange 44 extends through opening 19 in top wall 1S, and has slidably mounted therein a push rod 45, which extends into and is ixed within a chamber i6 formed interiorly of thumb piece 37. A compression spring i7 seated between the bottom 48 of receptacle 46 and the flange 44 serves normally to fbias thumb piece 37 to its upper or inoperative position.

The lower portion of rod 45 projecting from the tube 43 is secured as yby a pin '50 to a block 51 having a lower cam surface 52, which extends through an elongated slot 53 in a horizontally positioned slide member 54 which is in turn mounted between upper and lower slide guides 55 and 56 formed on the inner sides of side walls 13. A pin 57 extends transversely between walls 13 and supports additionally the under side of slide 54. The arrangement is thus such that `cam surface 52 when moved downwardly by thumb piece 37 and rod 45 engages rear wall 53 of slot 53 and biases slide 54 away from the cutaway portion 15, thus withdrawing a protruding tip 6i) which normally extends into the cut-away portion, for a purpose to be more iully described hereinafter.

A \.fshaped spring Kgenerally indicated at 61 Ihas one leg '62 extending through an opening 63 in slide Se normally :biasing tip dii in a direction outwardly of the cutaway portion 15, the spring being coiled as Iat 63a around a transverse pin 6d extending between side 'walls 13. The other leg 65 of the spring extends upwardly and engages a resilient iinger 66 .fwhi'ch is riveted or pinned as by a rivet -67 to rear wall 14, and at its other end carries a release button 6d which extends outwardly through a suitable opening 69 in rear wall 14.

Referring 'back now to outer casing 12, into which inner casing 11 telescopically fits, the outer casing includes a bottom wall 7d and a pair fof side walls 71, which include upwardly extending front portions 72 which extend on opposite sides of ears 28 and shell 32 when the device is in inoperative position. The outer Icasing also includes a rear wall '73 and a :front wall 74 which is cut away as at adjacent its upper end and immediately above the opening 22 in casing 21 and beneath the forwardly Icurving portion 36 of bafe 35. Rear wall 73 is provided with an opening 73a aligned with the opening 69 through which button 68 normally protrudes, being :biased into locking position by spring leg 65 to retain the inner and outer shells normally in related assembly.

A tubular hollow piston casing '7S is secured interiorly of outer casing 12 between side walls 7l in any desired manner, as by means of braces 7 9, and is provided with a slot 79a on its face, which is dimensioned to permit the extension of tip 6 therethrough adjacent cut-away portion l5. Tip 6i) serves normally to retain the head Sti of a tubular piston Sl; in compressed position against the bias of an internal spring 32, the lower end of which surrounds a pin 83 carried by an externally threaded screw head S4. Screw head 34 normally seats in an internally threaded lliange S surrounding an opening 86 in bottom wall 79. The upper portion of piston casing 7S is provided with an internal ilange 86a having a central opening 87 therein, above which is adapted to be positioned a cartridge which seats within and extends into casing 21, the cartridge having a rim which abuts against flange 86a, and which, when thumb piece 37 is pressed and tip or trigger 69 is released, is engaged by a iring pin S8 which is carried by head Si? of piston 81.

From the foregoing the use and operation of the device should now be readily understandable. Assuming the parts in the position shown in FIG. 1 with a cartridge contained within the casing or chamber 2l, pressure on the thumb piece 37 will move rod 45 to cause cam surface 52 acting against rear Wall 58 of slot 55 to move slide 54 rearwardly and cause tongue or tip 60 to be disengaged from piston top 8?. Spring 82 will then bias ring pin 88 into engagement with the rim of the cartridge, and discharge the same. In the event that a gas cartridge is used, tear gas or other material contained therein will be directed by the baille 35 in a direction perpendicular to the vertical axis of the simulated lighter and into the eyes of an attacker.

When it is desired to recharge the device, thumb piece 37 is depressed to retract tip 60 from slot 79a, the button 68 is pushed inwardly, and, if the device is in loaded position as shown, spring S2 will bias inner casing 11 out of casing 12. In the event that the device has been discharged, merely grasping the depressed thumb piece 37 by its side Walls 38 will enable the same to be lifted out of the outer casing, at which time a new cartridge may be placed in casing 21, and the device reloaded and reassembled.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved defensive weapon which serves as a pistol, and yet which is disguised effectively as an innocuous article, which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention, and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As many embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modications may be made in the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. A tear gas gun comprising a generally rectangular outer casing of a size and conguration in simulation of a cigarette lighter, including a cutaway end opening, an inner casing telescopically titting within said outer casing and including a top Wall, a depressible thumb piece on said top Wall, a rack carried by said thumb piece, a pair ot spaced ears extending upwardly from said top wall on opposite sides thereof adjacent said rack, a shell in simulation or" the wick covering shell of a cigarette lighter pivotally mounted between said ears, a rotatable pinion engaged with said rack mounted on the pivotal mounting means for said shell and fixed relative thereto and to said shell whereby depression of said thumb piece pivots said shell away from said top, said top wall having a tear gas discharge opening therein beneath said shell, a tear gas cartridge holder carried by said inner casing beneath said opening, a spring biased firing pin beneath said cartridge holder adapted to tire a tear gas cartridge in said holder, and trigger means actuated by said thumb piece for releasing said firing pin.

2. The structure of claim l wherein said tiring pin is mounted on a piston mounted in a piston casing carried by said outer casing, a spring biases said piston upwardly, and said trigger means includes a slide extensible into said piston casing normally holding said pin against the bias of the spring.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein spring means normally urge said slide into piston retaining position.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said inner casing includes an arcuate baille on said top wall adjacent said discharge opening for directing fluid contents of a cartridge in a direction towards said cutaway end opening.

5. The structure of claim 2 wherein a rod is carried by said thumb piece for movement thereby, and a cam is carried by the rod engageable with said slide for retracting the same to piston releasing position.

6. The structure of claim 5 including means for holding said inner and outer casings in related assembly, said spring means urging said slide to piston retaining position and also urging said means for holding said inner and outer casings in related assembly to casing retaining position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,664,049 Sedgley Mar. 27, 1928 1,970,719 Von Frantzius Aug. 21, 1934 2,599,177 Holroyd June 3, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 769,387 France June 5, 1934 

1. A TEAR GAS GUN COMPRISING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR OUTER CASING OF A SIZE AND CONFIGURATION IN SIMULATION OF A CIGARETTE LIGHTER, INCLUDING A CUTAWAY END OPENING, AN INNER CASING TELESCOPICALLY FITTING WITHIN SAID OUTER CASING AND INCLUDING A TOP WALL, A DEPRESSIBLE THUMB PIECE ON SAID TOP WALL, A RACK CARRIED BY SAID THUMB PIECE, A PAIR OF SPACED EARS EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID TOP WALL ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF ADJACENT SAID RACK, A SHELL IN SIMULATION OF THE WICK COVERING SHELL OF A CIGARETTE LIGHTER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED BETWEEN SAID EARS, A ROTATABLE PINION ENGAGED WITH SAID RACK MOUNTED ON THE PIVOTAL MOUNTING 